The Federal government yesterday debunked reports that
the federal government plans to dissolve the democratic structure in Borno state
and appoint a military administrator to over see the affairs of the state.There
were media reports that due to the heightened insurgency in the Borno state,
the federal government plans to hand over the administration of the state to
the military in order to have a full grasp of the situation.But in an interview, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr
Reuben Abati said those promoting this theory were mischief makers.“There is no
truth in that. There is a state of emergency in Borno state already which was
approved by the National assembly. The state of emergency is recording success.
Is it the National Assembly that will appoint a military administrator? How
will that be captured in the constitution? This government believes in the rule
of law and will not do anything that will undermine the rule of law” he said.He
added: “it (the said report) is preposterous; it does not make any sense. This
is one of the states that government had declared a state of emergency twice,
and in the two occasions, it did not remove the governors of the affected
states.“No where does the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria
recommend military rule over civilian rule in a democratic setting like
Nigeria. And this is a government that has consistently placed emphasis on
strict adherence to the rule of law.“If there is need to extend the state of
emergency in the states that are currently observing it, government would do so
and not to remove a democratically elected governor. To suggest that the
federal government is trying to impose a military government in a democratic
dispensation is far-fetched. Let it not be another mischievous attempt in the
media to project government in bad light”, Abati added